Artist Profile Jack Davis

ARTIST PROFILE

Jack Davis

In a quest to capture the almighty prowess of sea and sky, Jack Davis channels a raw energy into his paintings. With the untameable, hardy region of West Penwith for inspiration, this award-winning artist has a penchant for seizing the battles between nature.

The raw power of light, sea and sky play a strong focus in the work of contemporary seascape artist, Jack Davis. There’s a sense of wild emotion when studying a particularly atmospheric piece, when it is possible to even hear the sound of the tumultuous sky or the restless dark sea, juxtaposed by the faint glimmers of light trying to push through the richly coloured clouds. It’s a combination of commanding forces which has long intrigued Jack, “Even with the explanation of science, there is certainly a primal current that is tangible when I am out in the elements, recognising the titanic battles between sky and sea. I paint the light of the sun breaking through the darkness as a metaphor to my own personal struggles and continuous efforts to remain steadfast against the trials and tribulations of life.”

Inspired by the works of J. M. Turner and Mark Rothko, there is an undeniable sense of feeling and elemental power that supersedes more figurative aspects in Jack’s work – a representation of his personal response to his subject matter, be it a sky heavy with rain or an approaching storm against an eerily still sea, “They [Turner and Rothko] both create multi-dimensional spaces for the viewer to explore and I too construct my own architecture that represents my internal and external environment.

“Throughout human history, the sea and sky has opened our minds and filled us with awe, wonder and fear. It is no surprise that multiple civilisations have formed their core beliefs around the flux of the elements. From the Egyptians, Aztecs and Ancient Greeks to the indigenous cultures along the Pacific Northwest coast, all have revered the powerful forces above and beneath, instilling meaning and myth into the unexplainable.”

Jack’s latest works embody this spiritual ethos as he delves deeper into ambivalent concepts that not only enable viewers to discover their own sense of meaning and connection, but also allow Jack to bring his most inner self into harmonious reckoning with the majesty of the elements.

“I really enjoy the ambiguous quality of my most recent work, it enables the viewer to find their own interpretation and offers multiple perspectives. Like reading clouds in the sky, each person will see something different, and the fun is in putting the pieces of the puzzle together.”

At 31 years old, Jack has an impressive array of accolades under his belt, including the Aesthetica Art Prize, Future Now: 100 Contemporary Artists. Having studied Fine Art at Falmouth University, today Jack exhibits both nationally and internationally, and is also a tutor at the Newlyn School of Art and a member of the St Ives Society of Artists. His roots still firmly in Cornwall, he lives and works in an old Sunday school at St Just. Headstrong in his ethos to trust his deepest instincts when it comes to his craft, Jack is forever reflecting and challenging his painting, something he has done every day since he was 15. In his journey to capture the emotive resonance between the perceptions of sky and sea, there is a prevailing resilience, “I have learnt that general specifics are the best formula,” he describes, “I know exactly what I want, but not until I see it, so it’s a tug of war between artist and material. Usually, when I let my ego go, and let paint be paint, that’s when things start to happen.

“I have painted every day since I was 15, I am now 31 and still have only scratched the surface of my potential. With each painting I challenge myself to move forward, I refuse to paint for decoration and to paint the same painting for my whole career. Great artists continuously move forward and insecure artists paint what they think others want.

“By being true to myself and revealing my most inner feelings, I display vulnerabilities which are usually concealed.”

You can find the work of Jack Davis at selected galleries across Cornwall, including Porthleven’s The Customs House Gallery, where he is a resident artist. A focus exhibition of Jack’s work will be held at the gallery from Saturday 4th to Monday 13th of September 2021. In the meantime, you can find a selection of his works both in the gallery and online at www.cornwall-art.co.uk

The Customs House Gallery is part of the Own Art Scheme. l

Customs House Gallery, Commercial Road, Porthleven, Cornwall, TR13 9JD